Healthy Eats – Tuna Sushi Bowl

By by Trisha Coffman and the Leadville Race Series

You’re an athlete with a goal, and the right food will help you achieve it. Whether you need to recover from hard training or just need fresh dinner ideas, we’re bringing our stockpile of tasty, nutrient-rich recipes to your table.

This is the best recovery fuel to hit a bowl since cold cereal. It’s got all the flavors you love in sushi, but in a much less complicated format (because who wants to roll sushi when they’ve just rolled in from a ride?). Yes, there are complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. But that helping of tuna also happens to be rich in magnesium, which is important for muscle health. Serve with chopsticks if you’re feeling especially motivated.

You will need:

• 1 cup short-grain brown rice
• 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 4- to 6-oz. tuna steaks
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• canola oil
• wasabi paste
• 1 avocado
• nori (toasted seaweed)
• sesame seeds
• soy sauce

Combine 1 cup short-grain brown rice with 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 45 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Remove pan from heat, then fluff rice with a fork and stir in rice vinegar.

To cook the tuna, season with salt and pepper and heat a large skillet over very high heat. (To learn whether it’s hot enough, flick a few drops of water on the surface. If the water sizzles and skips around a bit, you’re good to go.) Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil into the pan and swirl to coat the surface, then gently slip the fish into the oil. Leave it alone for 1 minute. After 1 minute, flip it over (if the fish doesn’t release easily from the pan, leave it alone for another 30 seconds or so). Repeat cooking for 1 minute or so on the other side. You want it seared on the outside, but still completely pink throughout. Remove tuna from the pan and place it on a plate to rest. Smear the top with wasabi paste – as thick as you can handle.

To assemble: Divide the rice into wide bowls. Prep your avocado by cutting it into chunks. Slice the tuna against the grain into thin strips and divide it among the bowls of rice, arranging it in the center, then arrange the avocado chunks around tuna. Tear nori into bits and sprinkle it on top of everything, then add a few shakes of sesame seeds. Serve w/soy sauce.

Article by by Trisha Coffman